New Fighter

[tomahawk6]

Looks cool.

This Is Our First Look at the Air Force’s Secret New Fighter Jet

Here's everything we can see on the mysterious sixth-generation plane.

finance.yahoo.com

The Air Force Secretly Designed, Built, and Flew a Brand-New Fighter Jet

 

[CBH99]

When you can design & push the limits of something in secret, without every single minor thing reported on in the MSM - a lot can get done!

 

[dimsum]

When you can design & push the limits of something in secret, without every single minor thing reported on in the MSM - a lot can get done!

puts tinfoil hat on

What if the F-35 was trotted out, warts and all, to have the public focused on that while NGAD and other programs trudged along in secret?

 

[Good2Golf]

U2...SR-71...F-117...Stealth Hawk...others no doubt...all operational for years and years before public knowledge. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit.

 

[YZT580]

puts tinfoil hat on

What if the F-35 was trotted out, warts and all, to have the public focused on that while NGAD and other programs trudged along in secret?

A lot of money to spend on a distraction. Shades of Patton's phantom army? More likely that the F35 hasn't worked out as they hoped and they have developed a good alternative: all without ruining sales of the F35 to foreign buyers I might add.

 

[Good2Golf]

I doubt it’s a reaction to F-35 program challenges. Follow on efforts to F-22 has been in the works for some time, so even though NGAD itself may be a specific output, the Gen-6 activities are not new.

 

[blacktriangle]

When you can design & push the limits of something in secret, without every single minor thing reported on in the MSM - a lot can get done!

The rate of technological advancement presents real challenges, and so do shifts in geopolitics. The longer it takes to operationalize a system, the greater the risk that the operational conditions & threats for which it was designed will have changed dramatically, thus reducing effectiveness.

Digital engineering aims to address some of these challenges. But you're right, a lot can get done when you give a problem (or set of problems) to a group of smart people, provide them with sufficient resources, and get out of their way.

 

[MarkOttawa]

The rate of technological advancement presents real challenges, and so do shifts in geopolitics. The longer it takes to operationalize a system, the greater the risk that the operational conditions & threats for which it was designed will have changed dramatically, thus reducing effectiveness.

Digital engineering aims to address some of these challenges. But you're right, a lot can get done when you give a problem (or set of problems) to a group of smart people, provide them with sufficient resources, and get out of their way.

U-2. A-12/YF-12/SR-71:

The OXCART Family - A-12, YF-12, SR-71, and M21 Blackbirds

The A-12’s unique design and characteristics became the foundation for three other versions of supersonic aircraft that Lockheed built for CIA and...

www.thesr71blackbird.com

Mark
Ottawa

 

[YZT580]

Was it another Skunk works production or does anyone really know?

 

[OldSolduer]

I doubt it’s a reaction to F-35 program challenges. Follow on efforts to F-22 has been in the works for some time, so even though NGAD itself may be a specific output, the Gen-6 activities are not new.

You're spoiling our tin foil hat moment.

 

[Good2Golf]

You're spoiling our tin foil hat moment.

Carry on...the new sensors penetrate tin-foil anyway.

 

[CBH99]

Was it another Skunk works production or does anyone really know?

Given it was designed in secret, and designed with the efficiency of 'give a problem to a smart group of people and get out of their way' - I imagine Skunk Works or Phantom Works, or whatever NG's version is, was well involved. I imagine it won't be publicly disclosed for a number of years, and we will find out in a documentary 10+ years from now. 0.02

 

[Kirkhill]

A lot of money to spend on a distraction. Shades of Patton's phantom army? More likely that the F35 hasn't worked out as they hoped and they have developed a good alternative: all without ruining sales of the F35 to foreign buyers I might add.

Kind of grabbed my attention

Some 625 F35s are currently in service. 3 Variants - all in continuous improvement mode. Which industry thinks is a good thing. And Project Managers and Accountants detest. There is no end point.

F4 Phantom (19 Variants)

Aircraft	Number
F-4A	45
F-4B	649
RF-4B	46
F-4C	583
RF-4C	503
F-4D	825
F-4E	1370
F-4E 2020 (Turkey)	54*
F-4EJ (Japan)	140
RF-4E	149
RF-4EJ (Japan)	15*
F-4F	175
F-4G Wild Weasel	134*
F-4J	522
F-4J (UK)	15*
F-4K (UK)	50
F-4M (UK)	116
F-4N	228*
F-4S	302*

F16 Fighting Falcon

• 1Pre-production variants
  • 1.1YF-16
  • 1.2F-16 FSD
• 2Main production variants
  • 2.1F-16A/B
    • 2.1.1F-16A/B Block 1/5/10
    • 2.1.2F-16A/B Block 15
    • 2.1.3F-16A/B Block 20
  • 2.2F-16C/D
    • 2.2.1F-16C/D Block 25
    • 2.2.2F-16C/D Block 30/32
    • 2.2.3F-16C/D Block 40/42
    • 2.2.4F-16C/D Block 50/52
    • 2.2.5F-16C/D Block 50/52 Plus
  • 2.3F-16E/F
    • 2.3.1F-16E/F Block 60
  • 2.4F-16V Block 70/72
• 3Major modification variants
  • 3.1F-16A/B Block 15 ADF
  • 3.2F-16A/B Block 15 OCU
  • 3.3F-16AM/BM Block 20 MLU
  • 3.4F-16C/D Block 30 F-16N/TF-16N
  • 3.5F-16CJ/DJ Block 50D/52D
  • 3.6F-16C/D Block 52M
  • 3.7F-16I Sufa
• 4Special mission variants
  • 4.1A-16
  • 4.2F/A-16
  • 4.3Other CAS initiatives
  • 4.4F-16A(R)
  • 4.5F-16 Recce
  • 4.6RF-16A/C
• 5Major upgrade programs
  • 5.1F-16 MSIP
  • 5.2Pacer Loft I and II
  • 5.3Falcon UP
  • 5.4Falcon STAR
  • 5.5F-16 ACE
  • 5.6F-16 Falcon ONE
  • 5.7F-16 CCIP
  • 5.8CUPID
  • 5.9F-16C/D Barak 2020
• 6Technology demonstrators, and test variants
  • 6.1Flight control variants
    • 6.1.1YF-16 CCV
    • 6.1.2HiMAT
    • 6.1.3F-16 SFW
    • 6.1.4F-16XL
    • 6.1.5NF-16D/VISTA/MATV
    • 6.1.6F-16U
    • 6.1.7F-16X Falcon 2000
    • 6.1.8F-16 Advanced Fighter Technology Integration
    • 6.1.9F-16 GCAS
    • 6.1.10F-16 Agile Falcon
    • 6.1.11F-16 ES
    • 6.1.12F-16 LOAN
    • 6.1.13F-16D 'CK-1'
  • 6.2Engine variants
    • 6.2.1F-16/79
    • 6.2.2F-16/101
• 7Proposed and other variants
  • 7.1Vought Model 1600/1601/1602
  • 7.2F-16BR Block 62+ Super Viper
  • 7.3F-16IN Block 70/72 Super Viper
  • 7.4KF-16
  • 7.5GF-16
  • 7.6QF-16
  • 7.7F-21
• 8Derivative fighters
  • 8.1(1) AIDC F-CK-1A/B Ching Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF)
  • 8.2(2) Mitsubishi F-2A/B (FS-X/TFS-X)
  • 8.3(3) KAI FA-50 Golden Eagle (KTX-2)

I don't know how you want to describe and count the number of blocks, mods and variants there.... but there seems to be a lot to me. Which ones were failures and which ones successes?

Sorry for the digression.

Cheers.

 

[SupersonicMax]

The Viper blocks are incremental upgrades as time went. Block 50/52 is known to be the most capable but the heaviest in US service. After Block 25, the last digit represents the engine (0=GE with a big air intake, or « big mouth » and 2=PW). The first digit represents the actual avionics upgrade block. Block 50/52 were known as CJ and those that were upgraded are now called CM. Blocks 60s/70s are export variants. The other blocks are one ofs or concepts.

As for the black fighter project, this is hardly a new thing. Many aircraft (some that saw operational actions, some remained developmental platforms) were developed that way. Generally speaking, non-export platforms are developed under a heavier veil of secrecy than export platforms.

 

[tomahawk6]

Three weeks and its still in Norway ? I bet the wing commander may be the next to go !!

 

[dimsum]

Three weeks and its still in Norway ? I bet the wing commander may be the next to go !!

???

 

[tomahawk6]

Strategic asset in a foreign land not far from a potential enemy? You bet his bosses arent happy. Load a C17 with mechanics and send them to Norway might have been a good first step. At that point sending spare engines would be step 2 if the original engines could not be repaired ?

 

[blacktriangle]

Three weeks and its still in Norway ? I bet the wing commander may be the next to go !!

Did you by chance mean to post this in the other thread regarding the B-1B in Norway?

 

[tomahawk6]

I did lol

 

[dimsum]

Did you by chance mean to post this in the other thread regarding the B-1B in Norway?

Thanks; that was the context I was looking for.